


Candlelight

by tachiisweet



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Ambiguity, Light Angst, M/M, but there is no such thing as romance in the snk universe lmao rip, i hope its not too ooc ????? i would hate it forever if it did come across that way...., i love my old men, kinda spoilers but not really ????, theres a lot more interpretation than i thought ???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 22:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9261698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tachiisweet/pseuds/tachiisweet
Summary: “Candles aren’t utterly useless, you know. They provide light, warmth-”“Bullshit.”“-and it’ll help us see what we’re eating.”The corporal snorts, rolling his eyes before leaning his chair back onto the ground on four legs, grabbing the cutlery as his commander has done. “Are you done spewing your shit, because now our food is fucking cold because of your weird ramblings again. I hope you're happy.”“Well, you asked-““Shut the fuck up.”





	

“Candles aren’t utterly useless, you know. They provide light, warmth-”

“Bullshit.”

“-and it’ll help us see what we’re eating.”

The corporal snorts, rolling his eyes before leaning his chair back onto the ground on four legs, grabbing the cutlery as his commander has done. “Are you done spewing your shit, because now our food is fucking cold because of your weird ramblings again. I hope you're happy.”

“Well, you asked-“

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Let’s eat, shall we?” Erwin replies with a plastered smile upon his expression and Levi is silent.

The sound of well-kept silverware clinking against the single china set given to the commander by the higher ups. The dinner was humble. The monthly ration of meat served (lamb, this time), served with a half cut potato with pathetic looking vegetables on the side. But it was enough, and as their silverware clink against one another, Levi takes the silence a moment to observe.

Between them, the candlelight flickers and sways to the gust of air in the room circulating. It illuminates the sharp features of his companion opposite. His eyes downcast to the plate of food, calloused fingers pressing his knife and fork, slicing through the food in front of him. Levi turns his gaze a little higher, taking note of the familiar fashion of parting his hair to the side, so the blonde hair is cleared off the face. Grey eyes travel the path down from his nose and to his lips, where it accommodates to each small bite that the commander. He doesn’t realise he licked his own lips, the food growing cold on his own plate as he stared longer at the repeated movements. Even then, he was unwillingly lost in a trance. He wonders-

“Ahem.”

Levi throws his eyes back up to the noise, feeling the uncomfortable flush overtaking his face as he caught the eyes of blue skies staring back. Erwin caught him redhanded. “Is something wrong?” He asks. The captain narrows his eyes, noting the twitch of his lips, threatening to lift itself into a smile.

“Yeah. Your face is looking shittier than before. Clean yourself up would you?” He barks in frustration that he was caught, ducking his face away and back down, fingers moving much faster and more aggressively than necessary to cut food up. He shoves a bite into his mouth, chewing angrily as he wills the heat to leave from his face, refusing to look up until he was done.

Erwin smiles.

 

——————-

 

He looks tired. But then again, he, himself, must look worse.

Sitting alone, accompanied by the witching hour, do the dark nights provide nothing but shadows of screams in his ears. The sound of scratching pen against paper fills the silence of the night. The dim candles lighting the features of the commander. His unwavering gaze continues to shake Levi to the core, despite the fact it’s looking down at the table instead of him. No matter it seemed, Erwin's face doesn't change from its shitty expression. The urge to call him out on it is strong, but the corporal bites back his tongue, instead deciding currently is not the time to remark on such mindless matters.

The clock tick tock away the night. Starless skies looming over the building they residue in. His dark locks tousled from the swift movements of the day's events. His eyes close, only for just a moment, but enough to be drowned in the screams of his comrades. The sticky warm liquid that splattered across his sword, a mixture of blood that quickly dissipated to smoke and viscous blood that remained.

“You are dismissed.” He looks up, a scowl etching itself on his expression as Erwin remains unmoved from his position, still scribbling down names of the fallen.

He snorts. “Yeah, right.” He knows, and so does Erwin. He never sleeps. So why try?

It seemed to catch his attention, the noise of paper against pen lifted, his eyes dulled by death, gazing directly into the silver that unwaveringly meets his intense stare.

“Go to bed, Levi.”

“You first, old man.”

The silence stretches as they each glare at one another. The lone candlelight flickering on the table that Erwin sits, shadowing the features as if it was death itself, cloaking around the commander. However, Erwin only sighs and shakes his head a little, breaking the contest and back at the papers. The scratching resumes. Levi couldn’t help but feel a rise of triumph against Erwin and huffs what should’ve been a laugh before turning back around, leaning into the comfortable sofa that occupies Erwin’s office.

——————-

He sits up, the unfamiliar sound of a loud wheeze as his one hand slams into his chest, pressing into the erratically beating heart. His hair was a mess, sweat stains his shirt and beads of sweat decorate on his forehead. The sounds, it wouldn’t go away. It would linger in the corner of the shadows, creep up to him before making its attack.

No tears to shed, he trembles under the cold blanket that the night had to offer. Despite the dream fading, the noises returned. It always did. The taste of blood on his lips as he wets it with his tongue and screams. Hands outstretched to him, gripping at the edges of his shoes, some even touching his own hands until they were forcefully tugged away from his grasp, a hideous face emerging and ripping them in half with its abnormally large teeth. They scream his name, cursing him, praising him. They leave him in hell as they are swallowed by darkness, undigested and spat out into clumps, faces frozen in enteral fear. He vomits.

A door knocks and Levi grabs the dagger, throwing it at the intruder’s face, although it misses by several inches due to the trembling of his hand. He sees the lone candlelight first, before the face of Erwin emerges from behind the door.The tall man holds the candle in a holder, blue eyes gazing at him with an emotionless expression, yet all the same familiar and comforting to the fragile man. He tilts his head and Levi nods in confirmation, Erwin stepping inside the room and shutting the door quietly with a click. They stand there, a little awkwardly, staring at each other. Levi takes a moment to distract his mind and become aware of reality, of the moment. Erwin was still in his work clothes. Heavy bags shadow under his eyes, blonde hair tousled and lips parted in a silent word.

But the candle moves closer, as does the owner until Levi was shuffling and Erwin was sitting on the edge of the bed, the candle placed gently on the side table. It was slow, reluctant. A charged sense of dissatisfaction shared in the space of the two soldiers. But Levi tilts his head as a warm hand reaches out, brushing against his pale cheek, fingers tugging the black strands of hair off his face, wiping away the layer of sweat. A soft exhale passes in exchange for a small, weak inhale. The darkness didn’t leave, instead, it lingered, still waiting for the moment to dig it’s claws into Levi’s conscious.

However, for now, the candlelight still flickers away the too-near demons and the warm touch reminds him to keep breathing.

——————-

There was no candles at his funeral.

Instead he searched for the growing stems of periwinkle flowers that grew not too far away from where they were. He was too heavy to carry back, so they laid him on an extra bed that was fortunately not damaged by the destruction. He was placed there, a ceramic pot with the carefully picked flowers on the side. His long-worn cloak covering the body.

The room was dark and no windows would ever shine on the dead. He wonders to himself, if he was stronger, faster, maybe he could’ve chased the shadows of death that always lurked at the corners of his life. Maybe he could’ve stopped this from happening.

It became night and it was time to leave him behind.

 

                                                   How did time move so fast?

——————-

Maybe this is what he deserves, he thought to himself. The lone figure sits outside on the perch, watching the moon illuminate the empty grounds of the survey corps. The loss was massive, wiped out three fourths of the corps. Another sacrifice in return for sleepless nights.

No, he was not alone, despite the whispers in his head. He had the rest, he had an order and a goal to reach.

He sighs, standing up and stretching the bruised muscles and carries his heavy heart back to his bedroom. He walks by the office that once smelt of pine and fresh ink, replaced with a musty scent that stole one of the many comforts he sought out during his restlessness. He hasn't touched a candle for months. The captain trudges into his room, shutting the door with a final click. He takes off his boots, the harness that wraps around his legs and hips like second skin, neatly placing it over a chair. His eyes flicker to the remained candle that stayed by his bedside. He looks away.

Silent footsteps makes it way across to his bed, sitting on the edge and sighs. He tucks himself in, shutting his eyes, willing himself to ignore the regret in his eyes, the finality of his words. His dying breath right at his fingertips. A curse he'll bear for the rest of the unknown world.

Despite drowning in the darkness of his nightmares, he catches eye of a flickering candlelight. A smile etched on his face; kind, accepting, loved.

Levi smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! I've been meaning to write an eruri fic for a LONG TIME so this is my first time and the long awaited eruri fic !!!! hopefully the characters haven't come off too ooc and that it makes sense ?? it's a lot more abstract than I expected ops haha~ I also apologise for how short it is, but this is generlaly my kind of writing style ?? and I was really just testing it out more so than anything else so,,,
> 
> But thanks again for reading ^_^ If you like it please give it a comment or some lovin' and tell me what you guys would like to see for next time


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